Electronic Arts tries to take over "Grand Theft Auto" game maker

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Silicon Valley video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) said Monday that it would like to hold talks about a possible takeover of Take-Two Interactive Software, which publishes the controversial but popular "Grand Theft Auto" game series.

EA officials told industry analysts at a conference call on Monday morning that they hoped to "sit down" with Take-Two's board of directors and complete the acquisition.

The comments were made only one day after the New York-based Take-Two rejected a 2-billion-dollar takeover offer by EA, which has been the dominant independent video game developer for decades in the world.

Take-Two had rejected previous approached from EA that were make privately, revealed the Silicon Valley game maker Sunday when it went public with its bid of 26 dollars a share.

EA Chief Executive John Riccitiello said Sunday he was surprised by Take-Two's resistance and noted that his company's bid represented more than a 60 percent premium over Take-Two's current stock price.

Take-Two's newest edition of "Grand Theft Auto," a series that has sold more than 60 million copies around the world, is scheduled to release in April and would become an another bestseller.

EA's effort to take over Take-Two is seen as a step to maintain its industry clout in the wake of the merger of U.S. video-game powerhouse Activision and the video game division of French entertainment conglomerate Vivendi, whose revenue from the combined operations could rival EA's.